


Cursed Cousins

by RandyWrites



Category: DCU (Comics), Teen Titans - All Media Types, Zatanna (Comics)
Genre: Family Drama, Family Fluff, Gen, Underage Smoking, mentions of onesided ZachRae (Zachary/Raven) in first chap, planned oneshot series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2020-07-30 19:42:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20102584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandyWrites/pseuds/RandyWrites
Summary: The Zatara family shares some moments together. (self-indulgent snippets bc i wanted more family fluff for Zach & Zee, and expanding for exploring all their dynamics, bc ya gotta be the change ya wanna see in fandom amirite)





	1. Chapter 1

The teen adjusted his bowtie, frowning at his reflection as he continued his vent to his cousin.

“-And it’s not like she’s even shown any interest in me. Hell, she barely shows interest in anyone except-”

“Not to rain on your parade, Zach, but maybe it’s a good thing _she’s just not that into you_?”

Zatanna interrupted as she stepped from behind the screen. Her usual stage uniform of a white bowtie and yellow waist cincher replaced with ones of purple instead, her blazer was sitting along a chair, the final piece waiting to complete the look. “What do you think? Break from tradition, sure, but maybe just for night shows?”

“Yeah, that shade is _much_ better as an evening color,” he nodded, and the older magician stepped back behind her screen to change again. “But you don’t even know her, Zee-”

“I know that she’s got _hella_ demons-”

“God, _please_ don’t say that-”

“_Hella_ or _demons_? Because I’m still right.”

He turned from the mirror and crossed his arms defensively. “You never even gave her a _chance_, Cuz-”

“And that was _my_ bad, but-”

“Did you ever even _apologize_ to her?” Zach interrupted. There was a long pause as Zatanna finished dressing and stepped from the screen a final time.

They locked eyes, Zach’s full of fire and challenge, Zatanna’s full of regret and sorrow.

There was a tentative knock on the door, as Mikey’s voice gave them their five minute warning.

“We don’t have time for this,” the sorceress sighed, “_RIAH DNA EKAM-PU_.”

They were more than ready for the stage now. But as Zatanna turned to walk out the door of the dressing room, Zach stopped her by the shoulder.

“Raven’s… nice, Zee. It’s not her fault she’s-”

“Zach, I _appreciate_ that you’ve made friends. I _appreciate_ that you want to share that part of your life with me, but we’ve got a _show_ to do-”

“Just promise me you’ll come to the mixer. That you’ll meet her again.”

Zatanna’s eyes widened briefly, before they narrowed again in understanding, a knowing smirk growing on her face.

“So things _are_ getting serious between you two, I take it?”

The younger magician took his hand away from his cousin’s shoulder as if it burned, a look of horror growing on his face.

“What? _No! It’s not like that_-”

“Uh-huh. Sure. We’ll talk about this _after_ we blow Las Vegas outta the water, ‘kay Cuz?”

Zachary groaned as he followed Zatanna out of the room, grumbling under his breath the whole short walk it took to get to the stage.


	2. Cigarettes & Alcohol

“_Is it worth the aggravation  
_ _ To find yourself a job when there’s nothing worth working for?” _

-Oasis, _Cigarettes and Alcohol_

~*~*~*~*~

Hurriedly putting out the cigarette, Zach tried to look nonchalant as he blew away the last of the smoke.

“I’m not your _mom_, Zach. I’m not going to bust you for whatever dumb thing you decide to do to your body,” Zatanna sighed as she stepped out onto the balacony to join him.

She gazed out at the Vegas skyline, morose, before amending, “Although, I wish you would think twice before doing that to yourself-”

“If you’re not going to _bust_ me, Cuz,” Zach scowled, “I’d appreciate it if you skipped the lecture, too. ‘_sides_,” he stretched for a moment, arms moving over his head, “I seem to recall _you_ smoking a pack a week yourself, when-”

“That’s because like _you_, I was a _young_ and beautiful _idiot_ back then.”

“Ah-ha! So I am _beautiful_! You flatter me!”

She gently slapped his shoulder, letting the silence fall between them as the smell of cigarettes was carried off by the night’s breeze.

They watched the lights along the strip, cars passing lazily below and neon flashing. A din of activity that slowed to a dull roar, as even the Entertainment Capital of the World had off hours to accommodate its entertainers. The sorceress turned her attention past the city’s lights, to the deep navy of the desert beyond, musing about plans made and shows to come.

After a few minutes, Zach spoke up.

“If you couldn’t do the magician thing,” he started, “And if being a superhero was completely out, too… What would you do?”

Zee shrugged after a moment of thought. “Probably do something else to get on the stage,” she admitted, smiling as she pretended to buff her nails for a moment on her sweatshirt “Not to brag, but I’ve got a wonderful voice and my acting skill nearly landed me a spot on-”

“Nah, Zee, seriously,” Zach shook his head, “I’m not talking about dream jobs… Something normal. If you had to do something totally… _normal_ for the rest of your life.”

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously as her cousin then.

“What’s got you asking that, Zach? I thought you said you were, and I quote, ‘_killing it on the strip_.’” 

“I am,” he winced as his voice cracked a moment, clearing his throat before continuing, “I’m doing just fine… But-”

“Here it comes,” she laughed.

“I’m just… not convinced that this is all that I want… anymore, at least.”

Zatanna thought over his confession, nodding as her eyes turned up toward the sky. 

“There’s lots of reasons I do this, Cuz. There’s lots of reasons I have for wanting to quit sometimes, too. You need to figure out your own reasons for it, though.” She smiled as she turned back to look him in the eyes. “And I’ll be here for you, kid. No matter what you decide.”

The younger magician was slow to smile back as he quietly thanked his cousin. The smile dropped as soon as she amended one final time, “Unless you crash my Porsche again. Then you’re on your own.”

She laughed, calling attention to the look on his face as she tried to reign in the shower of her snickers.


	3. Arms Race

“ _ I am an arms dealer, _

_ Fitting you with weapons in the form of words” _

-Fallout Boy,  _ This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race _

…

As her stage manager flipped the next card over for her cousin, Zatanna could feel something in the room change. That spark of energy that came when the magic was right at Zachary’s fingertips, so close to being unleashed unwittingly, and yet not completely unbidden. As if it were at the surface, begging to be set upon the world, but was held back only by some small lack of understanding. Some inconsequential inadequacy. 

“ _ ET- ETARTS… ETARTSENE-”  _ Zach let loose a frustrated grunt before nodding his head along as he seemed to count out the possible number of syllables in the word. 

“ _ ETARTSEENFED,”  _ he declared with a grin, crossing his arms over his chest. Despite his outward appearance, a ploy of smugness and ease, Zee could see a hint of doubt in his eyes. And just as soon as the word left his mouth, the magic was gone, the buzzing left the room. 

Mikey clicked her tongue in disapproval, shaking her head as she said, “Sorry, kid. Forward, that first part’s pronounced Dee-feh-nuh. ‘Side, rules ain’t the same forward as backwards, right Zee?”

Zatanna found herself shrugging, settling back into a chair as she let out a sigh. The enthusiasm her audience brought tonight had demanded a second encore, which left her completely drained of energy. It was great to see Zach taking an interest in the practice she had suggested for him, but at the moment the sorceress wished the pair would’ve taken it somewhere other than her dressing room. 

“To be fair,” she sighed, “With the right amount of confidence and conviction, in the heat of the moment the spell might work  _ regardless _ . Half of the magic is putting  _ intention _ into the word itself. Otherwise what’s the point of learning it, if simply  _ saying _ an incantation  _ made things happen _ ?”

The younger magician ran a frustrated hand through his own hair as he let out a displeased moan.

“Yeah, but when am I ever going to  _ use _ this, anyways? What does it even  _ mean- _ ”

“It’s about throwing things out of a window, ain’t it?” Mikey laughed, “But the kid’s right, Zee. It  _ is _ a mouthful.”

“And it’s like I’ve told you both before,” she scoffed, “The more specific the phrasing, the more controlled the spell is. The more words we have in our arsenal, the easier our job becomes. Flashcards are one of the best ways to learn any subject, so why should it be different when learning to speak backwards?”

“It’s not like I’m getting any better, though,” Zach pouted, “I’m never going to be able to affect  _ people _ like you can, Cuz.”

“Not with  _ that _ attitude,” Mikey grumbled. The sorceress nudged her stage manager’s shoulder, giving the woman a pointed looking before giving her head a quick nod in her cousin’s direction, the young magician still pouting as he continued staring at the card before him.

“Give us the room?” she asked quietly, grateful when Mikey complied with a quick,  _ ‘I’ve got clean-up to check up on’ _ . The room now emptier, the cousins finally without an audience.

“Zach... what’s with the attitude?”

The teenager gave a derisive scoff before answering, “ _ What _ attitude?”

The sorceress raised an eyebrow at him, arms crossing as she patiently waited for him. 

After a long moment, Zach finally put his hands up in a sign of mock-defeat.

“Fine, you got me. I’ve still got some  _ TIHS _ to work through.”

Zee smiled, “Careful what you  _ say _ , kid. Intention, remember?”

There was another beat of silence in the room, as Zach seemed to think over Zee’s words. They could faintly hear the familiar melody of crew members bantering just outside, the last jokes of the night as props were securely packed away and rigging was put back in its place.

Zach began shaking his head.

“It’s just… The more we practice, Zee, the more I think I’m just not cut out for the hero thing-”

“Then don’t do it,” she shrugged, “You’re talented with stagecraft, Zach. Daddy would be  _ proud _ of how you carry the Zatara name-”

“And yet I’m still not pulling half the numbers that you two pulled when-”

“So  _ that’s _ what it’s about?” Zatanna laughed, “Ticket sales?”

The teen gave his cousin a scornful glare before turning his face away.

“Forget it…”

“No, Zach, hey,” she pat his shoulder for a second until he glanced back up at her tentatively. “I’m sorry. You’re absolutely right.” She sighed another moment before picking herself out of the seat and holding both hands up ceremoniously. A short whispered phrase, and in her hands she had conjured a photo album.

“I want to show you something… If you’ll indulge me for a second here.”

The teen smiled wryly for a second, a playful glint returning to his eyes.

“Are we talking embarrassing family pictures here, or inspiring anecdotes?”

“Would a little of both keep your interest piqued?”

He made a show of holding his hand to his chin in thought, before finally agreeing, “It might.”


	4. GNIS!

The young magician’s fingers danced across the keys, a simple scale and then a sure transition into a familiar tune. He hummed along, singing a few low words in the tune without much thought. Zach reminisced for a moment, nostalgic as he recalled the first time practicing music with his Uncle John...

“Zataras are performers,” he had said, leading the boy into a parlor room where a baby grand piano awaited them, “Magicians, actors, musicians. Name a field of the performing arts and a Zatara has made his mark there!”

“Uncle John, I already  _ know _ I want to be a magician-” the ten-year-old had protested, only to have the old man holding up a finger to silence him.

“Before you throw everything you have into the art of prestidigitation, you must be sure that it is  _ all _ you truly desire.” He smiled, lifting the lid that protected the keys before settling in his seat, playing a quick scale and a familiar song that slowly morphed into something else. “I signed Zatanna up for  _ many _ things before she had convinced me her legerdemain was  _ up to snuff- _ ”

“And all of them made me the performer I am today,” Zatanna interrupted, sauntering into the room with a mug in hand, Zatara still continuing the lively ragtime tune. “I still use some of the tips my tap dancing instructor gave to keep my footwork in line. And don’t even get me started on the debt we owe those  _ countless _ voice coaches.”

“And now she can  _ sing _ like a  _ canary- _ !”

“Don’t let Dinah hear you say  _ that- _ ”

“I still don’t see why learning to play the piano helps,” Zachary pouted, arms crossing over his chest, “It takes up time I could be using for practicing illusions.”

“One word, Zachary,” Giovanni smiled, a twinkle in his eye, “ _ Marketability _ .”

“Okay,” Zach sighed, “And what does that mean exactly?”

“It means, you’ll be a cut above other magicians, you dope,” Zatanna explained, rolling her eyes before taking a sip from her mug, “Honing other talents means you can vary your performance. You can offer an experience that other magicians can’t. Anyone can go see a magic show, Zach. Not everyone will see a show like a  _ Zatara show _ .”

“So it’s a gimmick,” Zach guessed, only for his cousin to groan. 

“I give up. You’re on your own, dad.” And with that she left, clearly heading for the kitchen.

“A gimmick is what we save for themed shows,” Zatara laughed, he changed the tune now, something more ominous and haunting building in the music, “A  _ Hallow’s Eve Spectacular  _ featuring death-defying illusions. A  _ Solstice Celebration  _ with a seasonal motif-”

“A  _ Father-Daughter Duo _ with witty banter to back them up?” Zach guessed.

“Might need a little workshopping,” he laughed, “But precisely! A gimmick is something you save for  _ special _ occasions. Singing, dancing, and playing music for your audience, however-”

“Those are things people go to  _ concerts _ for, Uncle John. Not  _ magic _ shows-”

“That’s where you’re wrong, my young pupil,” he smiled, “They’re part of the reason people keep coming  _ back _ to a Zatara show.”

He finished the tune, launching right into another and singing along. As he reached the chorus, he nodded to his nephew.

“You know the words,  _ gnis _ !  _ GNIS ROF EM _ .”

Zach didn’t even bother fighting the compulsion, closing his eyes and getting lost in the sound of his own voice in perfect harmony with the music his uncle made.

And when he opened them again, he took a step back.

They were no longer in one of Shadowcrest’s many parlors, but instead occupied the middle of one of the Monarch Theatre’s smaller stages.

“Why-”

“Because before you dream too big, Zachary, you must learn to start small,” Giovanni sighed. “This exact stage was where I first started in Gotham. It is where Zatanna first cut her teeth. And if you study well, it is where you can continue to carry on our family legacy. But first-”

A wave of his hand and a whispered spell, and the dimly-lit stage and dark rows of seating before them faded back into the bright sitting room again. He stood from the piano and gestured for Zach to take the seat.

“You must learn, and practice. And become a well-rounded person outside of your illusionism.”

Zach took the seat immediately.

“Okay, where do my fingers go…”


	5. Dad Jokes

Zatara knew two things the day Zatanna was born. His life would never be the same. And his routines would never be the same. 

Because by virtue of being a father, he had an obligation- Nay! A duty! To not only continue the long noble tradition of jokes that dated back thousands of years. But to outdo every single one of them, by bringing an extra, _magical_ element.

It started with children’s parties. He’d single out any kid who had a _My Little Pony_ with them and would politely ask them to be his assistant. Set the toy on the table. Get the kids to clap. By the time it reaches its peak of levitation he’d give the obligatory line, “Look! We’ve made a _horse fly_!” 

And more than a few times, when the applause abruptly stopped, the horse would promptly drop from the air. And the laughter would begin as Zatara overexaggerated his disappointment in their amusement. 

For his shows, he decided to up the ante. Before doing the Chinese Water Torture Cell escape, he brought more suspense during his straight-jacketing by kindly reminding his audience that many other magicians had tragically perished performing the trick. And a lot more than that was at stake, that he was a father now, and he was risking orphaning his one and only daughter!

Before he was lowered into the water (upside-down naturally) he broke the tension just a little. 

“How do you make holy water?” he asked, a knowing smile gracing his lips and a twinkle in his eye. And a few dads in the audience yelled back, as if on instinct, “_Boil the hell outta it_!”

Before their eyes, the water would begin bubbling and steaming. And Zatara was dropped right into it. Only to emerge seconds later, wet but unharmed. 

He went back to simpler routines after awhile, knowing that the audience would tire of the sympathy he was trying to elicit from them. 

Sometimes he would open a show with some simple sleight of hand, pulling a book from thin air. He would change the cover a few times, talking all the while about how impossible it was to please his daughter with bedtime stories, eventually landing on making the book her most recent favorite bedtime story.

“’_Astrophysics and Anti-Gravity: The Budding Scientist’s Handbook’_,” he reads for the audience. “She’s _three_, by the way.” Smiles as they laugh, continuing without missing a beat, “But you would not _believe_ how _impossible_ it is to put this thing _down_!”

He’d make a show of throwing the book, as if it were stuck to his skin. Then pulling on it as if it were affixed in midair. All leading up to the big moment. When he’d pull on it in its place in midair, showing how it holds so fast as to keep his entire body off of the ground. The gasp from the audience for that one was always the _most_ satisfying. 

Of course, he could never forget his greatest dad joke of all time.

Zatanna, no more than seven years old, sat herself at the kitchen table, shuffling her cards and working on her palming, asking a question she had asked only once before. A question he had since been waiting to answer, with bated breath. 

“Daddy, can you make me a sandwich?”

And Zatara smiled. The moment was here.

“_FOOP. ER’UOY A HCIWDNAS_.”


	6. Pride

“Do you think Uncle John would be proud of me?”

The sorceress began gasping for air, choking on the drink she had just taken.

“What makes you-” she coughed a few more times, trying to compose herself, “What brought that on?”

The younger magician shrugged, picking at the label on his soda. “Dunno. Just… I’m just wondering, I guess.”

“No, kid,” she began shaking her head, “No one’s ever  _ ‘just wondering’ _ about something like that. What’s up?”

The teen began to groan, getting up from his seat.

“ _ Never mind- _ ”

“Nuh-uh, no.  _ TIS NWOD _ ,” she said, pulling him back onto the couch with her, “You don’t get to almost kill me and then brush me off, Zach.” He gave her his most scathing glare, but she pressed on, “So  _ klat _ . I  _ know _ you want to.”

“I’m just… sick of the nightclub circuit,” he sighed, “You and Uncle John were selling out casinos and stadiums and-”

“Whoa, hey, slow down,” Zatanna laughed, “Dad sold out  _ stadiums _ ? That’s  _ news _ to me.”

“You know what I mean,” he said, giving his cousin a push on her shoulder, “When you were  _ my age- _ ”

“Yes,” she said, cutting him off before taking a drink again.

“ _ ‘Yes’ _ what?”

“Yes, Dad would be proud of you.”

“Uh-huh, and just  _ how _ can you be so sure-”

“Other than by asking him, you mean?” she snorted, “Because  _ I’m _ proud of you, dumbass.”

Zach was quiet for a moment, taking a sip of his soda.

“I bet he’s proud of you, too.”

“Damn right he is,” she smiled. “Crime-fighter by day, moonlighting as America’s most magical sweetheart-”

“I thought it was the other way around.”

“Ideally, but shows sell better in the evenings, kid. Plus, who has time to do superheroics all night with  _ my _ schedule?”

“Guess that’s why it never caught on for me…”

Zatanna sighed, “Okay, I’ll bite. You mean your shows or the whole crime-fighting thing?”

“I dunno, both?” Zach groaned, running a hand through his hair, “You and Uncle John went on so many adventures, Zee. I couldn’t even stand being around the Titans for longer than a  _ month _ .”

“Not everyone is meant to be a superhero, Zach-”

“Yeah, but... the  _ legacy- _ ”

“Hey, look at me,” she tapped her drink with his a few times until he made eye contact with her, “Screw legacies. Are you happy doing magic?”

“Zee-”

“Answer the question, kid. Are you happy with the magic?”

The younger magician sighed, rubbing at his neck for a moment. “Yeah. With both of it, actually. Stagecraft  _ and _ witchcraft.”

“Then if you’re happy, that’s all that matters,” she shrugged, “Simple as that.”

“So if I gave it all up  _ tomorrow- _ ”

“Dad and I would be just as proud of whatever you decide to do,” she nodded, “Because that’s what family should be about. Always.”

The younger magician tried biting back his smile, his voice laced with a tinge of sarcasm, “Aw, Zee, you’re gonna make me blush.”

“Good, you need a little color,” she teased, reaching over to pinch his cheek and laughing as he began to swat back at her, their drinks spilling onto the coffee table and making a mess. They only laughed harder before Zatanna whispered a word to clear it.


	7. NUR!

The fall of Zatanna’s heels echoed down the halls of Shadowcrest. A _ clack, clack, clacking _ against ancient oak paneling, matched only by the softer, dull thuds of Zach’s dress shoes. The hall was unnaturally dim, darkness shifting at a whim and casting inhuman shapes against the portraits and sculptures alike. Zach thought for a moment he even saw one of Giovanni’s old posters blink at him, the old magician’s smile looking like more of a menacing scowl in the flickering candlelight.

This darkness had descended only minutes ago, the awful chill permeating the mansion moments behind it.

Not to mention, the general foreboding feeling had thoroughly interrupted the practice performance Zach was running through with his cousin.

She’d changed almost immediately into her League uniform; fishnets traded for those legendary thigh-high blue boots, classy tailcoat replaced with loose long sleeves and flowing cape. He’d always wondered what had possessed Zatanna into making those choices for her costume design. But those questions would once again have to wait another day. She’d sprung into action instantly, and it had taken the tween all he could just to utter a quick  _ ‘thgil ni ym dnah’ _ spell, following close behind her.

“Think we’re under attack?”

He fidgeted nervously with the candle in hand, adjusting his grip to avoid the burning wax spilling over the side. Steps were turning into skips, a light jog every couple of feet to keep pace.

Zatanna shook her head, pressing ever forward. Posture straight, footsteps sure, walking briskly.

‘ _ Never let them see you sweat _ ,’ Zach remembered both Giovanni and his cousin telling him, time and time again. Advice, evidently, she took to heart.

“Unless something got past the security, it’s gotta be coming from inside. Could be one of dad’s old trophies,” she mused and Zach could see the scowl on her face deepen before she got further ahead of him again. “Could be something we didn’t check thoroughly enough.”

“I thought Uncle John said  _ ‘Zataras don’t collect trophies’ _ ?”

Zatanna turned slightly so her cousin would benefit from seeing her eye roll. He glared back as she turned forward again.

“Souvenirs, then.” She stopped in her tracks, thinking it over as the younger magician nearly bumped into her. “Although,  _ ‘items under new protection’ _ might be a more accurate description,” she smiled, “But it’s a helluva mouthful. Not nearly enough of a  _ ring _ to it.”

She continued on, down the hallway. The shadows grew darker, taking sharper, sinister shapes. She was unfazed, the same confident stride all the way down. Zach picked up his pace to keep step with her, nearly dropping the candle as the wax spilled over his fingers. He sucked in a sharp breath, whispering a healing word.

“So, we’re supposed to be running headlong into...  _ whatever the hell _ you or Uncle John brought home and… What? Ask it to stop all this horrible nonsense?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Zach,” Zatanna chuckled, finally at rest in front of a set of oak doors. The library just behind it, he realized, was their unspoken goal.

A chill ran down his spine in recognition of the energy in the room beyond. It exceeded anything he’d felt so far. The sheer wave of power emanating from within frightening enough to rattle against his bones.

And yet, impossibly, the self-assured grin on the sorceress’ face, worried him more than any of that.

“We don’t ask. We  _ tell _ .”

With a practiced flair, she swung open the doors, her sleeves flaring out on either side as she leveled them against the room. 

The playful smile shifted into a scowl to match Zatara’s as she commanded, “ _ POTS SIHT ESNESNON! _ ”

Zach almost would have laughed, were it not for the way she shielded them both swiftly with her cape as the demon inside fought back in kind.

“ _ NUR!” _

An unnecessary command, but one he followed before the word had even left her lips.

Heavy footfalls, lightning quick breathing. All his training never prepared him for this mad dash for his life. He could hear Zee just behind him, yelling curses and chanting protection against the beast.

“ _ TI-! EPS- EPAC- _ for fuck’s-  _ TIXE _ !”

He nearly cried as a door materialized a few blessed feet in front of him, willing it to stay in existence long enough for Zatanna to follow him inside.

“ _ KCOL! KCOL! KCOL!”  _ he chanted, falling back into a chair. The door thumped a few times, but held firmly in its frame. 

Zatanna allowed herself to collapse onto the ground, slowly regaining control of her breathing and taking in the room around them.

“So your quick exit leads to a dressing room, huh?” she laughed. “Good thinking, kid.” She took a few more breaths before adding, “The word you were looking for was  _ ‘epacse’,  _ by the way. Even better would be  _ ‘ycnegreme tixe’  _ but-”

“-It’s a helluva mouthful,” Zach supplied, cocky smile growing on his face as they shared breathless snickers. "Not nearly enough of a _ring_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> definitely meant to take place a little between different canons, but namely in the same frame as when Zee first joined the league/made her first Conscientious costume change.  
inspired by @martinijordan's zee n zach art on tumblr! y'all be sure to check 'em out! :D


End file.
